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Parkland Varieties to Host Open Day in Alberta

Published online: Aug 09, 2017Event Calendar, Seed Potatoes

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Parkland Potato Varieties will host its annual open day at the Crop Diversification Centre South in Brooks, Alberta, Aug. 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The company will be showcasing several varieties during the field day, including processing, main market whites and yellows, reds, creamers and chipping varieties.

Although Parkland continues to sell the standard open varieties, like russets, Shepodies and Atlantics, the company is seeing a steadily increasing interest from growers in private varieties, particularly fresh market yellows. According to Parkland director Kirby Sawatzky, new processing and chipping varieties have greater bruise resistance and can be stored for longer periods of time.

Sawatzky points out that his company also has new varieties with “fantastic skin finish for the fresh market.” The majority of Parkland’s new varieties are bred in Europe, many by Agrico Research. These naturally bred varieties are selected based on their resistance to disease, their culinary qualities and tuber set, particularly for creamer varieties. Often, a variety may fill more than one market category, providing added flexibility to the commercial grower.

Parkland and Agrico have worked together since 1997. Since joining forces, Parkland and Agrico have introduced many successful varieties into North America.

According to researchers, a large proportion of the world's potato crops are suffering from severe depression, the weakening of an organism’s genetic makeup from excessive breeding with close relatives.

Bob Trogele, chief operating officer and executive vice president of American Vanguard, parent company of AMVAC, will present a global AgChem outlook and implications on the U.S. potato industry at the Potato Business Summit this week.